Meet Our Team
Great Teachers Inspire
Our tutors and staff in Langford and Colwood consist of passionate educators who love inspiring children to succeed. Warm, caring and great at relating to kids, our tutors in Langford and Colwood know how to engage and motivate each child in a personal way—building confidence and smiles, as well as skills and better scores. We selectively choose tutors who know local curriculum and can link Sylvan lessons to what’s being taught in school.
Get to know our tutors and staff in Langford and Colwood!
PALAK BHATIA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Palak Bhatia has been with Sylvan since September 2022. As an Executive Director, Palak oversees end to end business operations at three Sylvan locations – Victoria, Westshore, and Nanaimo. Palak values education and believes it to be the most powerful tool for creating a better future. She has a passion to work with young kids and help them achieve academic success. This is why, after graduating from Simon Fraser University with a master’s degree in business, Palak decided to pursue her passion, and use her knowledge and expertise in leading Sylvan. In her leisure, Palak enjoys painting, stargazing, and learning new recipes.
MARIETTE WEST
LEAD TEACHER
Director
Mariette’s path in education and coaching began in 1995 and has led her from Canada to Australia, Taiwan, and Mexico, before coming back full circle to Canada. It was during this time where she developed an unwavering commitment to nurturing individuals’ unique talents and strengths. Now, as part of the Sylvan Learning team, she uses this wealth of experience to fulfill her lifelong passion for empowering individuals. As the Director at Sylvan, she is dedicating herself to supporting children and their families in achieving their educational goals. Mariette lives in Victoria with her husband and two children. She spends her free time with friends enjoying deep chats over a good cup of coffee and still travels as often as she can.
ALEX BOMPHRAY
LEAD TEACHER
Alex Bomphray is an educator with over 20 years of experience at both the elementary and post-secondary levels. After teaching at an elementary school in Atlanta, Georgia, she pursued a graduate degree in Literacy Education with a focus on early literacy development. Her experience growing up as a struggling reader has made her passionate about helping students gain the confidence and skills they need to succeed in reading. She believes that fostering a love of reading is essential and that phonics instruction can be engaging and taught alongside high-quality, high interest books. She lives in Victoria with her husband, daughter, and two cats.
Start your child on the path to academic success today
Give us a call at (778) 746-1296 or fill out the form to discuss your child’s learning goals.